We've got it good. Great footage of magic spot.

Nice one Peanut - great work. What day was that?

Most the guys I know (including the guys that shoot the PKRA "7th Frame") Use a DJ Phantom quad-copter with a Go-Pro Hero 3 mounted on it. They drive the thing by looking a a screen and seeing what the Go-Pro is shooting, thus putting themselves in the ideal position to get the action. Also it has a GPS to tell you how high up you are, so usually they stay just above 30m and then it's unlikely kites will hit it when there are lots around.
If you have a super expensive rig it's usually the case where one person operates the camera and one the copter. But this is also the case when shooting on a film set, where one person drives the camera and another drives the focus wheel. Sometimes it can even be 3 people manning one camera.

Pete - Hi - thanks for the post - what feed back do you get about the copter (i.e. the battery level??) - can you get it to return to home automatically or do you have to fly it the whole time? Wind limits - what strength can it cope with? Looks like great fun. - I like having real feed back than just reading the blurb..

AP

Good idea re spotter Pete, a work mate got himself a Phantom 1 and fitted a video transmitter to his GoPro. All good until he hit some trees and dropped it into a saltwater creek, quad and GoPro are now dead. A bit of money but hey life's short

Nice! What are you using to get the GoPro feed back to yourself?

GREAT VIDEO!!! Nice images!!!

Hi Everyone
first post here
I'm not a kitesurfer, but my good friends here on the Gold coast are all hardcore kitesurfers.
I have been flying these " drones " for 5 yrs now and am a full size aircraft pilot.
i have extensive experience in building them, flying them, training people to fly them, repairing them, equipping them for longer range flights over water, FPV filming ( first person view ) and all the other skills needed to make filming your sport possible from this new angle.
I don't want to get into the filming myself, but I have over the last 12 months been building a large fleet ( 5 at present - more planned ) of these aircraft.
I have decided to sell all the Heli's in my collection as I'm more into the building than the flying ( the building is my hobby ), I'm always building more and the wife has started to make comments about the size of the fleet and the space in our house.....

So, I am just putting it out there, if any of you have any interest in getting one of these ( not Phantoms like this thread refers to , but better larger and more capable aircraft ) then please PM me. I am willing to offer for each drone sold :

- The chopper
- A fully equipped FPV setup ( ie RC radio controller , screen mounted on controller , DVR digital video recorder , 1.0 - 1.5km range RC link ( much much further if you ask....)
- brushless stabilized gimbal for gopro 3
- easy to use flight controller fully customized for your purposes
- GPS position hold
- full emergency return to home function
- a PC based flight simulator ( essential for training )
- 2 hours of one on one instruction with my own training quad at first ( uses the same flight controller ) and then on your aircraft
- repair service ( hourly rate 40 AUD ) and even you attending repair sessions so you can learn to repair your own stuff slowly and then not have to use me

The only things you would need to buy elsewhere ( advice is available on these items of course ) are

- Gopro
- Batteries
- Charger

thats it.... PM me if interested. I have photos and video's of the gear of course
You would have to come to me for training

Iv'e had a few PMS already from people asking about details so I'm just going to put my reply here for all to read, PM me if you want any more info, I will be posting pics as the next few days pass as the builds get finished up :

pics to follow next few days...i'm in the process of deconstructing them all, refitting them for the purposes I have listed , reconfiguring the flight controllers and putting together the
FPV radio controllers... here is a link to a guy ( a good friend of mine who is a kitesurfing pro photographer ) that I recently made one for ( heavily moddified Phantom ) , his name is Stephan and I would encourage you to contact him for references.. he's in Mauritius at present on a photo shoot using the drone I built him.




I have 3 x TBS discoveries modded for brushless gimbals , 2 of which are standard 4 motor units and one is a custom 8 motor unit ( better wind performance )

I also have one DJI F550 modded for brushless gimbal and dual batteries

Finally I have a custom hexacopter with a premium gimbal .

They will be sold for the original cost of components + a bit for build / sim / training

the DISCO's will be about 1400 and the 8 motor one about 1550 , the F550 1500 and the custom hex will be about 1650 ( more expensive gimbal ) This includes transmitters / screen / DVR / video link transmitter and receivers etc etc...

you would be looking at a charger and batteries that I can help you source , and I assume like everyone on earth you already have a gopro ????

These prices represent component costs ( most are new ) and about 200 bucks for me to build ( takes about 30 hours each one ) + training and sim

its more than a phantom, but phantoms suck in the wind, and you guys need wind.....

ill forward pics as I complete the builds...

hey chris. no it's just a bit of fun.

Loved it. Most kite vids are frantic - thumping metal music or dance soundtracks to unhooked epiliptic fits on a TT.
Before I started kiting, and was living in Neutral Bay 10 years ago, I would cycle up to Long Reef and beyond on my mountain bike for a flyfishing session in the lagoon. Great to know I could kite there too if I ever get back to Sydney.

Agree on everything you say except the 30 knots. I've had my one up in a tad under 25 and although it flies it is clearly on the edge and it will only fly very slowly into the wind at that strength, barely walking pace. So coming back in from 200M offshore at 30% battery you'll lose it in the drink, just like a pro photographer friend just did in Mauritius.
To get a drone to fly safely in 30 knots requires a specially built one, ask Jetbootz, he has heaps of experience with Phantoms and really serious stuff too!

Can you change the height in RTH? At the beach there is unlikely to be anything in the way, especially if you think a bit about that before setting the "home" point.

Question:

1 - I have been using a Gopro 3 Silver but I can't get a crystal clear image, it all seems like it's not focusing properly.
2 - I do have a 2D Gimbal working properly, but I am wondering if there is vibration being transmitted to the camera. In the distance it looks ok but close up it's not clear image.
I have also been shooting at Sunset and that may have something to do with it... less light
3 - I just bought a Black 3+ so I would have a dedicated camera for it.

Any other tips?

4 - does anyone know the main difference between Attitude and Predator V2 (Fatshark)

Cheers,

V

KiteDesigner said...
This looks interesting, a drone that follows and films automatically while your kite surfing.

That is MINT!!!
I want one

Or just go open source
diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/follow-me-mode-available-today-free-in-droidplanner-2-0
Arduopilot rocks and you can put it in anything (quad/hex/octo)
a flight controller from DJI costs over $700 alone!